In Another Life
by PixelatedThoughts
Summary: When the Carter family move from Seattle, Washington, to Manchester, England, things are turned upside down. With all eyes on the beautiful new students at school, how will they cope with the unwelcome attention? Rated M for language and lemons.
1. Chapter One

**A/N: Hey guys! It's me again! Well, who else would it be? :D**

**I told you in the last chapter of 'Ghosts and Ghoulies' that I was writing a new story. And now I present...(dramatic drumroll)...'In Another Life'! This story is quite different from my other stories, in many aspects. I will only reveal that this story is more mature, and contains swearing, sex and the odd bit of violence. That's why it's rated M! Anyway, I have put my heart and soul into this story, and I love it to bits. I hope that you do, too.**

**Before I start, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my best friend Charlotte. She's probably never going to read this (she always 'forgets' or 'doesn't have the time'), but I still love her. Also, she is the creator of 'sex with lemons' (I'll explain at the end), and she always makes me laugh. I.L.Y.L.L.J.T! xoxoxo**

**Also, love and Carlisle hugs to Michelle, who is the most awesomest person ever. Even though you live across the giant pond that is the North Pacific Ocean, I still love you. xoxo**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. They all belong to the fabulous Stephenie Meyer._**

In Another Life

Chapter One – Unfamiliar Places, Familiar Expressions On Faces

"Violette! Over here!"

I looked up at the sound of my name being called.

William was waving frantically at me, signalling for me to come and sit with him.

I picked up my tray of food – a bottle of water and a tuna sandwich – and marched over to him.

Although I was only walking across the cafeteria, I could feel every pair of eyes on me. Well, every pair but one.

As I sat next to William, Benedict kept his eyes on the fake wood grain of the table, his fingers picking at the pizza slice on his tray.

I sighed and leant on William, who wrapped an arm around me and kissed my hair.

"Don't worry," he whispered in my ear. "They'll stop staring soon enough."

"I hope so," I sighed, as he nuzzled my neck. It was incredibly distracting, and I had to remind myself that I was in a busy lunch room full of teenagers and teachers.

"They never stop staring, Will." Benedict had turned his glare from the table top to William. "You should know that by now."

William rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Pessimist."

Benedict saluted him before going back to ignoring us.

"Stop being a dickhead, Ben," I muttered. I hated it when they fought, especially when Arthur wasn't around to sort them out. I wasn't brave enough to bang their heads together like he did – if I did, I would get a mouthful of curses from Benedict, and a hurt expression from William that broke my heart.

Benedict raised his eyebrows at me and his mouth curved into a mocking smile. "Sorry, dearest sister of mine."

William shot him a dark look and muttered something to him quietly, so that I wouldn't hear it.

I sighed at Benedict's childishness as he raised a finger at William and then went back to pretending that we were thin air.

"Look, we're all over one hundred and fifty years old, here," I chided. "Could we all just behave until we get home? Please?"

William answered yes by giving me a quick kiss.

I cleared my throat as I stared at Benedict, waiting for an answer.

Benedict stared back, one eyebrow raised, but finally gave in by muttering, "Fine," under his breath.

I smiled, feeling quite pleased with myself. William usually did what I wanted, but Benedict was another story.

I glanced around the cafeteria again, and still, every eye was focused on us: the new kids in town.

"So, who's going to kill Arthur and Mercy for this fucking brilliant idea when we get home?" Benedict mused.

I cringed into William's chest as a hawk-eyed teacher strolled past, her gaze lingering on us one by one. "I don't care, but they are so bloody dead."

William rubbed my arm reassuringly. "Cheer up, Vi. Only a few hours left, and then we can run away."

"Can't we just ditch for the rest of the day?" I was getting desperate. The unwelcome attention was starting to get to me.

"That's not a bad idea," Benedict piped up, cheered by the thought.

William scowled at both of us. "Come on, guys. It's our first day, so we can't really ditch. I'll tell you what though; I can't wait to get out of this crappy uniform." He tugged at the tie that was already halfway down his chest. "One very bad thing about England is the school uniform."

I had to agree with him there. Moving from Seattle, Washington, to the suburbs of Manchester, England, was an incredibly large leap. One of the disadvantages of England was that most schools had a uniform. The uniform for the Sixth Form here at St. Edmund's Grammar School was a black blazer with the school logo on the chest pocket; a black, red and white striped tie; and either black trousers for the boys, or a black, red and white plaid skirt for the girls. It was a huge change from wearing our own clothes to school.

I noticed that Benedict was pulling at his shirt collar, even though he had the top two buttons undone.

I shook my head to myself. I was perfectly fine with wearing the uniform, but only because I had the shirt un-tucked, my top three buttons undone, and my tie so loose that I was surprised that it hadn't come undone yet. My blazer had also found a nice new home in the bottom of my school bag.

At that moment, the warning bell rang shrilly, signalling for everyone to start to head to lessons.

I hopped up out of my seat and grabbed my tray and my bag. I was about to go and put my tray away and go to my fourth period lesson, when I felt a hand grip my elbow.

"And where do you think you're going without a goodbye kiss?"

I grinned and turned around to face William, who had an eyebrow raised.

I glanced back at the table and noticed that Benedict had already slunk off somewhere. To be honest, I didn't really care with the way he was acting at the moment.

I dragged William with me as I took my tray to the counter. As I stacked my tray with the others, two strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind me, pulling me against a marble chest.

"I don't think that the teachers will appreciate it if you start feeling me up in the cafeteria, Will," I mumbled as he ran his hands over my stomach and pressed his lips to my neck.

"Stuff the teachers," he murmured against my skin. "I miss you."

I sighed and with much regret, pushed his hands away. "I'm sorry, honey, but we need to get to class." I turned around and stood on my tiptoes so I could whisper in his ear. "Later. I promise."

I pulled away, and shivered as I spotted the wicked glint in William's golden eyes.

"Fine," he said. "But when later comes, I get what I want. Whatever I want."

Oh, crap. Crap, crap, crap.

I smirked, though my stomach was full of butterflies. "That's fine by me."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. William complied more than willingly and pulled me against him even tighter than before. I sighed as he ran his tongue along my bottom lip and I moved my hands into his silky brown hair, running them through it. William's hands moved as well, sliding down the small of my back before resting on my ass. I parted my lips slightly and bit down gently on his bottom lip, making him moan softly.

Reluctantly, I pulled away after a minute and smiled as I noticed something that might be a problem for William.

I gave him a quick peck and picked my bag up from the floor. "See you later, babe!" I sang as I ran towards the music department. "You might want to take care of your little problem before you go to class!"

I laughed as I heard William mutter, "Shit," and shuffle off somewhere to 'calm down'

* * *

"Violette Carter?"

I slunk down into my seat as Miss Reading called out my name, giving the already staring students an actual reason to look at me.

"Yes, miss," I mumbled.

Miss Reading smiled at me, but carried on taking the register.

I was glad that the people in the room found me slightly creepy, but, judging from the looks on the guys' faces as they stared at me, that wasn't all they found me. The girls were staring, too, but their faces were either awestruck or so jealous that they should be a dark jade in colour.

Miss Reading finished taking the register and smiled. "Well, as you all know, we have a new student in our music class. I hope that all of you will be welcoming to Violette and treat her with respect and dignity." I waved sheepishly as everyone gawked at me. "Violette, would you like to come up here and introduce yourself?"

I had a feeling that it was an order, not a request.

I grudgingly rose from my seat and walked towards the teacher's desk quickly, wanting to get this over and done with.

Whispers followed me as I approached the desk: Girls bitched about me and complimented me on whatever part they found nice. The guy's murmurs were less than gentlemanly; I would have to tell William when I saw him later.

I stood in front of the desk and took a deep breath. My throat burned and venom flooded my mouth. "What would you like to know?" I asked Miss Reading, swallowing the noxious liquid.

She smiled, but wouldn't meet my eyes. "Um…if you just tell us about whatever you feel is necessary."

I sighed and looked at the class, trying to remember the cover story for this time around. "My full name is Violette Genevieve Carter and I was born in London. I moved to Seattle, Washington when I was two, with my parents and my adoptive brothers. As you probably guessed, we moved here about three weeks ago, just before the Christmas holidays. I'm sixteen years old," I looked around the room and quickly added an afterthought, "and currently in a serious relationship."

All the boys in the class looked incredibly disappointed when I mentioned the last bit.

I looked at Miss Reading, who smiled again, but still wouldn't look me in the eye.

"Thank you, Violette. Now, does anyone have any questions for her?"

A few hands went up. I guessed that everyone else was too intimidated by me.

Miss Reading pointed at a blonde girl who was wearing glasses. "Yes, Chelsea?"

Chelsea smiled nervously at me. "Um…what's it like in Seattle? I heard that it rains there more than it does here."

"Well…um…it certainly is wet there," I answered. "But it's not really that different from here. People just drive on the other side of the road and have a different accent. Oh, and people drink a lot more coffee. Tea seems to be the main choice here."

Chelsea gave me a tiny smile and then looked down at the table.

The next student – a guy with dyed black hair and a lip ring that was certainly against the school dress code – asked me something that I did not expect: "Are you a natural red head or is it dyed?"

"It's natural. The curls and waves are, too."

He nodded at me, looking satisfied with the answer I had given him to his unusual inquiry.

I wrote that one off as gay and prepared myself for the next question.

A girl with frizzy black hair asked me, "How is your name spelt?"

"V-i-o-l-e-t-t-e," I recited. The unusual spelling of my name annoyed me.

Miss Reading pointed at a brunette girl whose face was orange with the amount of foundation she was wearing. "Yes, Amanda?"

Amanda popped her gum and looked at me curiously. "So, if you're in a serious relationship, who's your boyfriend?"

I bit my lip. "I'd rather not talk about that; thanks."

Amanda raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm guessing that it's that guy who you were sitting with at lunch. Don't deny it 'cause I saw him kiss you."

Damn.

"Amanda,…" Miss Reading warned.

"Um…okay, fine. He's my boyfriend." I bit my lip harder than before.

Amanda looked smug. "But isn't he your brother?"

Gasps and mutters coursed around the classroom.

Great.

"Adoptive brother," I informed her. "There are no blood ties between us."

_Well done, Violette. Keep your mouth shut from now on._

Since there were no more questions for me, I gladly went back to my seat at the back of the classroom.

The girl sitting next to me stared at me relentlessly for the rest of the lesson, but I ignored her and concentrated on writing my notes on the Baroque period.

* * *

I was insanely happy when the bell rang for break.

I stuffed my books into my bag and darted out of the room, trying to find somewhere where I could hide for the rest of the day.

"Violette!"

I was about to take a right turn into another corridor when I heard William's voice from behind me.

I skidded to a halt, my shoes squeaking on the linoleum floor, and waited as William ran to catch up with me. He looked concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he reached me. "I was upstairs in the rooms above you and I heard the Q&A session."

"I'm fine." I brushed some of his messy brown hair out of his eyes. "I just don't like talking in front of people like that."

William wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead. "I know, sweetheart, I know. And, by the way, I don't care about what other people think about us. I love you, and no one can change that, especially not some petty kids."

I laughed. "Good, because I might have some competition. Most of the girls here are aiming to split us up by half term break and keep you for themselves."

William chuckled and pulled me closer for a second, but then he let go of me and took my hand.

I gave him a puzzled look and he laughed again.

"Benedict's coming," he explained. "I can hear his stomping from here."

I giggled and pushed him against the wall so I could lean on him. Benedict could take that much.

True to William's word, Benedict stormed around the corner a minute later.

"Well, well, well," William teased as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Look who's in an exceptionally bad mood. Oh, wait. There's nothing new there."

Benedict grimaced at him. "I've had every single popular air head in this school throw themselves at me in the space of four hours. And all because _someone_ let slip that I was single."

William laughed. "I was doing you a favour, mate. It's about time you found someone."

"I'd rather that I found someone on _my_ terms, thank you very much," Benedict snapped.

"Will!" I gasped. "You didn't really do that, did you?"

William shrugged. "At least I tried to help him."

I smacked his arm. "That was mean, though. Let Benedict do it his way. It is someone he wants for life, not just for a one night stand."

Benedict smiled at me. "Thank you, Violette. At least someone around here respects me."

Just as he said that, two girls sauntered past, swaying their hips in what they must of thought was a sexy way. They purred, "Hey, Benedict. Hi, William," before bursting into fits of giggles and running off.

I blinked and stared after them. "What the hell was that?" I croaked.

"I believe that was women charm at its worst." William sounded amused, at least. Then I felt his breath at my ear and he murmured, "At least you don't have to try to be sexy."

I rolled my eyes at him. "That had to be the cheesiest line I have ever heard you say, Will. I'm shocked."

William grinned. "It was worth a try."

Benedict sighed heavily as I kissed William. "Violette, William, please. We're standing in a busy corridor, and I don't think that the teacher over there appreciates two students making out in public."

I broke away from William to look in the direction Benedict was pointing in.

Sure enough, Mr. Thomas – my math teacher, who I hated already because he had assigned me homework on my first day – was standing by some lockers in the corridor, arms folded and an eyebrow raised at us.

I waved at him and yelled, "Sorry, sir!" just as William shouted, "My apologies, Mr. Thomas!"

Benedict snickered and started to walk off, yelling, "I'll see you at half three!" behind him.

I sighed and picked up my bag. "I might as well head off, too. I have a free study period now, so I have to find the Sixth Form study rooms."

William pouted at me. "I'm hurt, Violette. Do you really need to get away from me that badly?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Will, I'd do anything to stay with you, but I really need to find the study rooms. If you stayed with me, it would not only make me happy, but it would keep away all the other guys. Have you heard what most of them are saying about me?"

William's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I'm afraid to say that I have. And most of them would be dead if I could have my way."

I kissed his neck. "Relax, Will. No one here is going to take me away from you." I glanced at the clock on the wall opposite and sighed. "I really have to go."

William grinned. "Well, I had a free study period earlier, and my room isn't far from there, so I'll walk you."

I beamed at him. "Thanks. I'd like that."

Every student gawked at us as we walked down the maze of corridors that lead to the study rooms, our hands linked and our heads together.

I noticed my eyes as I walked past a window. My normally topaz eyes were already starting to fade to a brownish colour, and I could see a thin ring of black around the outside of the irises.

I was slightly worried, as I had only hunted about two days ago. Was being around humans all the time causing me to become thirstier quicker than before?

William noticed my worried expression and squeezed my hand. "What's wrong?"

"My eyes," I whispered. "They're already fading to black."

William turned my head towards him and studied my face for a moment. "Hmm. And the shadows under your eyes are becoming clearer, too." He thought for a minute and then smiled at me. "If you're that worried, we'll go hunting when we get home."

I smiled and nodded.

William pulled me a stop outside of a room with big double doors. "Well, this is the study room." He brushed some of my hair behind my ear. "I guess I'll see you later, then."

I nodded and stood on my tiptoes to give him a goodbye peck.

William brushed his lips against mine lightly, and then moved his mouth to my ear. "So I was thinking about 'later' in fourth period."

I giggled. "Yes?"

He leered at me. "And I was thinking about taking a look in that Karma Sutra book Emmett Cullen sent me last Christmas. There's a few new positions I want to try."

And with that, he snuck in another quick kiss and bounded off down the corridor yelling, "Bye, Violette!" as he left.

The students walking past stopped and stared at me as I slipped into the study room. I found a nice secluded corner behind the bookcases and tried to calm myself down, as I was suddenly feeling incredibly flustered.

* * *

_**Songs for this chapter:  
**__In Another Life - Madina Lake  
Just Dance - Lady GaGa  
Everyday Combat - Lostprophets  
Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part To Save The Scene And Stop Going To Shows) - Fall Out Boy_

**I may have said it was more mature, but my sense of humour is still there. I really hope that you like it. I spent ages developing these characters, and I stayed up until about three in the morning most nights so I could write.**

**Okay, so I bet that you're all curious about the 'sex with lemons' thing. Well you see, I told Charlotte about this story and said that it had sex in.**

_**Charlotte: **"Sex? You don't normally have sex in your stories."  
**Me:** "I know, so I rated it a M for lemons."  
**Charlotte:** "Lemons? WTF?"  
**Me:** "Yeah, just like there's smut and fluff. Sex is lemons"  
**Charlotte (obviously mishearing me):**_ _"Sex with lemons?! OMD, Hannah, you're mad."_  
_**Me:** - falls off chair in laughter -_

**I explained it to her after I stopped laughing. We then both had a laughter fit for ten minutes, only managing to stop when a teacher walking by gave us weird looks. Lol. I do love my Charlotte.**

**Okay, so I really would like some reviews of your opinions on this story. If you read this, please review! PLEASE?! You get a cookie shaped like Edward if you do. Go on. Please?! - puppy dog eyes -**

**Lots of love and Cullen hugs!**

**Hannah x**

* * *

* * *


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: Hi! So, I only have three reviews so far. That had to be the least amount of reviews I have ever received! Come on guys! Review! Please?! Thanks to SunnySkies4Life, born2dance94 and CrystalDragon791 for reviewing. Love you all!**

**Love and Cullen hugs to Michelle, for just being awesome. Yes, I am drunk on that photo. You may not believe me, but I am. Unfortunately. Love you! xxx**

**Also, love to Jenna and Constance, both who are amazing. People, go on my profile and click on the links! Check them out! x**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer._**

* * *

In Another Life

Chapter Two – Dirty Minded

When the final bell rang, I put my Biology text book― well, it was actually a Biology text book with a _Look_ magazine inside, since I already knew everything about Biology― away and rushed out towards the car park.

The swarms of teenagers parted for me as I practically ran through the corridors so I could get out of this torture chamber. As usual, they all gaped after me, but that was nothing new.

It was raining as I got outside, but I didn't care enough to get an umbrella out; I just wanted to go home. I finally broke through the crowds of hyped up teenagers and spotted William leaning against his shiny black Audi, an umbrella in his hand.

He grinned like the Cheshire Cat when he saw me, and pushed away from the car to come and meet me. "Hey, there." He put an arm around me and made sure that the umbrella was covering both of us.

"Hi," I said, leaning my head on his shoulder. "Is Benedict in the car?"

William frowned. "Not yet. It's unlike him to not be the first one out."

He opened the passenger door for me and I got in the car, throwing my school bag into the back. William smiled as he closed the door and walked around the front of the car to the driver's side.

It felt weird to be sitting on the side that would be the driver's side back in the US. I wasn't used to it yet.

William sat down in the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. Then he started the car and pressed the various buttons on the dashboard to turn the stereo and the heating on.

_Savage Garden _blared out of the speakers, making me jump.

William pressed the volume button and smiled at me apologetically. "Sorry. I had it on the other day."

I shook my head and looked out of the window at the unrelenting rain. The music was turned down until it was background noise, making me slightly happier. _Savage Garden_ wasn't one of my favourite bands, but William loved them.

"So, how do you like your Audi?" I asked him as I clicked my seatbelt into place. I hated wearing one, but we had to keep up the human charade.

Arthur had said that we could each have a new car when we moved here, but Benedict and I couldn't drive ours until we 'officially' passed our driving tests.

William grinned and leaned back in his seat. "I love it. I've always wanted an Audi A8."

I sighed, longing to drive the pretty silver-blue Bentley convertible that was hiding under a sheet in the corner of the garage.

William put his hand on my knee, tracing invisible patterns on my skin. With each loop, his hand moved higher, edging towards the top of my thigh, and eventually dipping under my skirt.

I decided to let him have his fun, a tiny smile playing on my lips as he trailed his fingers down the inside of my thigh. His mouth moved next to my ear, his lips just grazing my ear lobe. "You know, we still have to christen the car."

I rolled my eyes. "What kind of girl do you take me for, Mr. Harrison?"

"The kind that's so unintentionally sexy that it drives me crazy and loves me enough to do what I want." I raised my eyebrows at him. He smirked. "I do what you want, so it's only fair that I get something in return." He took my ear lobe between his teeth and bit down gingerly, earning a sigh from me.

"You get what you want anyway, since what I want is nearly always what you want. And besides, the backseat of a car is not my ideal place for certain activities." I peered through the windscreen, groaning at the amount of students gaping at the car.

William chuckled against the skin of my jaw. "It's never bothered you before." He moved his lips back and forth from the bottom of my jaw to my collarbone, planting feathery kisses everywhere.

"Will, you do realise that most of the student body here― and some of the teachers, in fact― are staring at this car right now." I bit my lip, half in concentration, half in pleasure as William continued attacking my neck.

He shrugged. "The windows are so darkly tinted that they wouldn't be able to see inside anyway."

"Yes, but―"

Suddenly, the back passenger door was wrenched open, and a soaked Benedict flung himself into the car.

William gave me a quick peck on the cheek and then pulled away, starting the car properly and throwing it into reverse in the same instant. "Where the bloody hell have you been?" he demanded, annoyed at Benedict's lateness and for interrupting us.

Benedict shrugged. "Somewhere."

I glared at him in the rear-view mirror. "It isn't like you to be out this late. You usually beat us to the car."

"Well, I didn't this time, okay?" Benedict scowled back at me. "Just fucking drop it, Vi."

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "You got in trouble for something, didn't you?"

Benedict sighed and ruffled his sandy blonde hair in frustration. "Yes."

"And what have you done now?" William inquired.

"I yelled at girl who was trying to flirt with me. The deputy head walked past as I started swearing at her." He smiled. "I think I taught the nearby students a few new words."

William sniggered, so I hit him.

"You shouldn't hit the driver, you know," he told me.

I smacked him again. "Shut up, Will."

William looked hurt, but I knew he was putting it on.

"And what happened after that?" I asked.

Benedict sighed again. "I got called into his office and was told that, although it was my first day here, I shouldn't behave like I did then. I was given a warning and then told to go home."

I sighed and shook my head. "When are you going to learn, Ben?"

Benedict shrugged and gazed out of the window, deciding to ignore us.

We were now driving down the road that led to our house. The road was about four miles long and full of twists and turns that required absolute concentration from the driver.

Naturally, William was hardly paying any attention as he wound around a hairpin bend at one hundred and ten miles per hour.

I heard a beep and pulled my Blackberry out of my pocket, unlocking it in the process. The screen blinked, telling me that I had an email. Opening it revealed that it was from Alice Cullen, a good friend of mine from another 'vegetarian' coven. She hoped that I was okay and settling in at school. She was also curious about England, asking me a few questions about things.

I quickly wrote a reply, answering her queries and asking if she and her family were okay.

The phone beeped again to confirm that it had been sent, and I slipped it back into my inside jacket pocket.

I looked up to see William gazing at me inquisitively, ignoring the road entirely.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"Alice Cullen," I replied.

He nodded and turned the final bend in the road, uncovering the old brick house that we called home.

I sighed in relief.

It was an old Victorian house, with exposed brick and white colonial pillars framing either side of the door. Huge bay windows showed vast majorities of the inside of the house; I could see Mercy vacuuming the carpet inside the living room and Arthur sitting in his armchair by the fire, reading yet another thick book.

Ivy climbed up one side of the house, giving it a green blanket to hide under. Flowerbeds― currently bare due to it being January― were littered around the house, and a huge oak tree stood proudly on the front lawn.

William guided the car into the garage, parking it between Arthur's silver Porsche Cayman and Mercy's red and white Mini Cooper.

Benedict got out of the car immediately, slamming the door and running off into the house.

I opened my door and got out as well, wanting to get inside and yell at my 'parents' for even suggesting the idea of going back to school again.

William was hot on my heels as I stormed in through the kitchen and into the living room.

Mercy turned the vacuum cleaner off and smiled at us. "Hi, guys. How was your day?"

Arthur looked up from his book, waiting for our reaction.

I glared daggers at both of them. "It was fucking awful, thanks," I snarled. "I was gawked at all day by acne-ridden, testosterone-induced boys who undressed me with their eyes, and I was also bitched about by plastic Barbies whose biggest problem in life is what shade of eye-shadow they're going to wear tomorrow! So, thank you, Arthur and Mercy, for this fan-fucking-tastic idea!"

I turned on my heels and stomped up the stairs, not pausing to look back. I had never been one for tantrums, but when I was angry, I really screamed.

I heard Arthur and William chuckle at my little outburst.

Oh, I was _so_ not talking to William when he came up.

I ran into my room and quickly yanked my school uniform off, desperate for my own clothes. Rummaging through my wardrobe and many drawers produced a pair of black skinny jeans and my favourite cream, grey and purple plaid shirt, so I pulled them on and went on a hunt for my Vans.

I went on my hands and knees so I could crawl under our bed to look. I was halfway under the bed and had just spotted my shoes when I heard a low whistle and a husky voice from behind me.

"Nice view."

I started and banged my head on the planks of wood that supported the mattress. "Oof! Shit…" It didn't hurt; it was more an outburst of surprise.

I grabbed my shoes and crawled out from under the bed, completely ignoring William as he stood there watching me.

I sat on the desk chair as I tugged my shoes on, then got up and walked over to the mirror. I brushed my hair quickly and checked my eye makeup, still classing my husband as thin air.

William sighed and sat on the bed as I went and opened the French windows that led onto the balcony.

"Come on, Vi. Don't ignore me like this."

I marched out onto the balcony and scowled angrily at the mountains of the Pennines. It had stopped raining and the sky was now covered in a soft blanket of silver-grey clouds, casting long shadows across the landscape.

I was about to leap off the balcony and into the surrounding forests, when William's arm snaked around my waist and held me to the floor.

"You really didn't think I would let you go hunting on your own, did you, Violette?"

I folded my arms over my chest and bit my lip as he brushed my hair behind my ear and started kissing my neck.

"I do love it when you're angry. It's quite a fun challenge." His hands roamed over my body and his lips moved to the area around my ear and jaw, planting tiny butterfly kisses everywhere.

I felt my willpower start to crumble, but tried to stay strong.

"I think that it's later now, don't you?" he purred in my ear.

That did it.

"William!" I shrieked. He knew he was in trouble since I had used his full name. His hands dropped. "I'm angry with you right now, so now is not the time!" I spun around to face him.

He was looking at the floor, his hands in his pockets and his expression upset. I instantly regretted yelling at him.

I heard a laugh echo from Benedict's room, but ignored it.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and counted to ten. Then I exhaled heavily and opened my eyes. "I'm sorry, Will. I didn't mean to shout at you like that."

William looked up, gave me a tiny smile, and then looked down again.

I sighed and stepped forward so that my face was about an inch away from his. "Sorry. Really."

He smiled and wound his arms around my waist, so I knew I was forgiven.

I rested my head on his chest, and he rested his head on top of mine.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled. "I wasn't thinking clearly."

I snorted. "Obviously. You know not to do that when I'm angry."

"I know, but I missed you today."

I kissed his chest and pulled away, looking out towards the dense forest. "Get changed and we'll go hunting." I glanced at his current attire. "You don't want to get blood all over your nice clean uniform," I teased.

William winked at me and zipped inside. He was a blur as he raced around our room, digging out his clothes from various drawers.

A minute or so later, he was standing in front of me in a pair of blue jeans and a grey button down shirt. I noticed that he was wearing his favourite scruffy Converse sneakers.

"I thought that I told you to throw those out when we moved," I said, pointing at the offending objects.

William smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, honey, but I couldn't let them go. These sneakers have been with me for a long time."

"I know; that's why I told you to throw them out." I put my hands on my hips.

"Oh, come on, babe; they're just shoes."

I sighed. "Fine, but you're not wearing them in public. I'll buy you a new pair for that."

He grinned. "See, there's always a compromise."

Suddenly, he broke into a run and leapt off the balcony, doing a graceful somersault before he landed on the soft ground with a muted thud.

"Show-off," I muttered as I took two bounds and jumped off as well, landing next to him.

William laughed and then raced off, his actions challenging me to a race.

I gladly complied and ran after him, soon catching up― William had longer legs than me, but I was faster.

* * *

An hour or so later, and I was happily satisfied, the burn in my throat muted down so much that I could hardly feel it.

We ran hand-in-hand back towards the house, not bothering to race this time.

"So I guess that I should apologise to Arthur and Mercy for my little outburst earlier, shouldn't I?" I asked William as we leapt over a small stream.

"You should," he replied. "It's the polite thing to do, considering that you swore at them." He smiled. "Twice, if I recall correctly," he added.

I rolled my eyes.

We broke through the blanket of trees then, and we both slowed automatically. I jumped up the steps, opened the back door and skipped into the kitchen, kicking my shoes off along the way. William padded behind me silently, also barefoot, as I danced through the hall and into the living room.

Arthur and Mercy were snuggled up together on the couch, watching _Flog It! _(some antiques programme that valued and then auctioned people's stuff. I didn't really get it; eBay was so much easier.) They both turned when I entered the room, smiling widely as they saw me and William.

Mercy was about to speak, but I put my hand up to stop her.

"Before you say anything, I'd like to apologise for my tantrum earlier. I was in a really bad mood and I just snapped. I'm really sorry for yelling and swearing at you."

Mercy got up and gave me a hug. "It's okay, Violette. We understand. Moving here is a big change from America, even for a two hundred and fifty three year old vampire."

I buried my face into my mother figure's shoulder and hugged her tightly. "Thanks, Mercy," I whispered.

Mercy stepped away and held me at arms length. "Well, then, I have things to do. I still need to take things out of boxes and clean a bit." She bit her lip, showing that she was thinking. "I was going to suggest that I decorate your room next, so have you two got any ideas?"

I looked at William, who shrugged. Colours for our room was the last thing on his mind right now.

"We'll get back to you on that," I said. "I know that Benedict's decided on colours, so you could do his first, if that's okay."

Mercy smiled. "Whatever's fine with you is fine with me. I'll see you later. I have to work my magic elsewhere." She leant down to kiss Arthur's head and then glided into the dining room, her dark red hair swishing behind her.

Arthur chuckled from his seat. "That woman is always busy doing something. She needs to relax once in a while."

William laughed as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "A relaxed Mercy? That will happen when pigs can fly."

"I can hear you, you know!" Mercy yelled from the next room.

"Love you, dear!" Arthur shouted back, grinning widely.

William and I laughed in unison as Mercy retorted with, "You best do, or there's no chance in hell I'm getting into bed with you again, Arthur Lucas Carter! Mark my words!"

Arthur sighed and ran a hand through his shaggy black hair. "So, what are you two up to? Anything exciting?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to know, Arthur? You want to get down with the younger generation?"

He laughed. "No, not really. I'm perfectly content with being a grumpy old git. I was just curious. Any homework you need to do?"

I grimaced. "Don't remind me. I've been there one day, and I've already been assigned an English essay on Shakespeare's _The Tempest__,_Math problems on Pythagoras, and I have to compose a pavan using modern instruments. This place is hell on Earth."

William sighed, joining me in my annoyance. "I've got to answer a booklet on Einstein's theory of relativity for Physics, and review for a writing and speaking test in French."

Arthur grinned. "Well, hop to it, then. It won't take you long to do, and when you're done, you can do what you want." Arthur frowned as William whispered in my ear what he wanted to do, and I giggled. "Within reason, William. It's only half past five. Jesus, is sex all teenage boys think about?"

William grinned mischievously. "Mostly, yes."

I giggled again.

Arthur shot me a look. "And don't you go encouraging him. I've ignored it in the past, but if you're going to behave at school, you need to learn some restraint."

William suggested some form of restraint for later, and I grinned in response.

"William!" Arthur barked. "For God's sake, stop talking dirty to Violette and pay attention to what I'm saying!"

Laughter resounded from the dining room and the music room.

Arthur put his fingers to his head and began rubbing his temples. "Just go and do your homework before I snap."

William and I obeyed and ran up the stairs, chuckling as we went.

* * *

An hour and a half later, and we both had a pile of completed homework sitting on the desk in our room.

I was now lying on our bed, reading a book, while William sat on the floor by my head, playing with his PSP.

He paused the game he was playing and reached up to rub my leg. "So now that our homework's done, do you have any suggestions for things to do? I have a few that you might like."

I sighed, not looking up from my battered copy of _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_. "Of course you do, Will. You always have a few ideas when it comes to you and me."

William smirked.

I slammed my book shut and put it on the bedside table, then moved so my head and arms were dangling over the edge of the bed next to him, an impish grin on my face. "So, what do you have in mind? Two-player on the Xbox? Watching a movie? Going for a walk?" I knew what he wanted, but I couldn't resist teasing him. "Don't keep me dangling here, Will." I rolled over so I was lying on my back, my hair falling in a fiery waterfall.

He rolled his eyes and leaned in so he could murmur in my ear. "My ideas include you, me, and this bed."

"You want to sleep? You know we can't, you idiot."

William sighed sharply, then suddenly pulled me off the bed and onto his lap.

I gave a soft scream and scowled at him. "That was not fun―"

He didn't let me finish. His lips smashed into mine, taking me by surprise. I quickly recovered though, and kissed him back, my hands running over his chest, earning a light shudder from him. William pushed me back so I was lying on the floor, and collected both of my hands in one of his, pulling my arms above my head― he preferred dominance in these situations. His lips forced mine open slightly and his tongue traced my bottom lip, asking for entry. I opened my lips wider and William's tongue darted inside my mouth, stroking my own gently.

As our tongues danced, his other hand started to snake up my shirt, riding it up until my stomach was exposed. I was still powerless― William's hand forming a manacle around my wrists― but it was anything but unpleasant.

I gasped for breath as his lips left mine and started to trail down my neck painfully slowly, setting my skin on fire.

"Do you like my ideas then?" he murmured in-between kisses. His lips came to the hollow of my neck and he ran his tongue across the length of my collarbone, sending a shiver through my body.

I nodded, whimpering slightly as he kissed the sensitive spot on my neck that only he knew existed. William's lips continued on their descent down my body, pausing when they came to my breasts. He took his sweet time there, slowly kissing every inch, causing me to writhe underneath him. One long finger reached inside my shirt and skimmed the inside of my bra. I gasped in response, and his lips curled into a gorgeous smile. I moaned quietly when his fingertip ran lightly over my hardened peak, and my back arched, craving his touch.

William chuckled against my chest, the vibrations making me bite my lip to keep from crying out again. "Patience, Violette," he whispered. "Isn't that what you said to me earlier?"

His lips locked with mine again, and I looped my legs around his waist, needing to get impossibly closer.

There were three loud taps on the door.

William pulled away and yelled, "Kinda busy at the moment!" in a throaty voice. He touched his lips to my stomach gently, his tongue lapping out with each kiss. My fingernails dug into my palms and my eyes rolled back into my head slightly.

The bangs came again, but this time, Arthur's voice accompanied it. "William, Violette, open the door now!"

William growled loudly at the door, basically saying, "Fuck off," and then turned his attention back to me, his hand sliding my top up higher and his fingers playing with the buttons.

I heard Arthur sigh and mutter something, and then the door flew open with a bang, completely busting the lock.

Wait, when did William lock the door?

William glared up at Arthur from his position above me, a low growl rumbling in his chest. I kneed him in the stomach, telling him off for being rude to Arthur and to demand that he let go of me. He released my hands, but carried on snarling at our father figure, his eyes shooting daggers, rays of death, and anything else that could be used to describe a glare. I tried to inconspicuously pull my shirt down and do up the top few buttons as Arthur stared at us, one eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face.

"What is it, Arthur?" William snapped, obviously annoyed. "We're a bit busy here."

"I can see that." Arthur folded his arms over his chest. "And I'm terribly sorry for interrupting your 'alone time', but I have some news."

I sighed and threw an arm over my eyes. "Make it quick, Arthur. You're ruining the mood."

Arthur chuckled. "Well, I just got an email from Holly, and it appears that she has a new member in her coven. She says that she'd like to come and visit us for a while, and introduce this newborn to us."

Holly was a close friend of mine and Arthur's. She had travelled with us for a while, but had said goodbye when she met Oliver, her best friend and mate. Holly and Oliver had then moved to Iceland to live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, hunting on bears, seals, and the odd lost human. Over the years, a few vampires had lived with them, but they had all eventually left to pursue other dreams.

"And who is this newborn?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

William sighed and sat up, realising that we wouldn't get back into the swing of things for a while.

"Her name is Francesca, and Holly said that she's about sixteen. Oliver found her lying in the snow, near dead, and took pity on her. He brought her back to Holly and they made the decision to turn her into one of us." He paused, thinking. "Apparently, she took the fact that she's undead quite well."

I laughed. "Well, that's at least one person who did." I looked at William, thinking back to when he was changed. "You were so scared that you wouldn't come out of the attic for days."

He frowned at me. "Well you try waking up in a house full of loonies who are telling you that you now drink blood and sparkle in the sun."

Arthur laughed, remembering as well. "You only came out because I sent Violette up to see you. You wouldn't talk to anyone but her."

William nodded. "I don't know why, but I trusted her, even though I was terrified of her." He grinned at me. "I still am."

I gave him a playful shove. "I love you too, honey."

Arthur sighed and then cleared his throat. "Right; I'll leave you to it, then." He wheeled towards the door, but stopped and turned around again. "By the way; Mercy, Benedict, and I are leaving to go hunting in about ten minutes. We're going quite a way out, so we shouldn't be back until tomorrow morning." He walked out of the room and started to close the door behind him, but popped his head back through. "Sorry about the lock. I'll fix it tomorrow." Arthur's face turned serious. "And I'm expecting things to be in one piece when we get back." He gave us a small wave and closed the door behind him.

I sighed again and looked at William. His eyes were hungry, making my stomach flood with butterflies.

"So." He moved so he hovered over me again, his fingers gliding up and down my body. "What do we do now, Mrs. Harrison?"

I giggled. Though I had adopted Arthur's surname, I was actually Violette Harrison, and had been for the past one hundred and seventy-four― nearly seventy-five― years. "I don't know, Mr. Harrison. What do you want to do?"

His eyes burned into mine and he simply said, "This."

He kissed me slowly at first, his love for me being poured into each tender movement of his lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer until I could feel every hard muscle of his against my body. He deepened the kiss after a few minutes, his hands starting to wander again.

"Okay, guys, we're going! Don't break anything while we're gone!"

We both mumbled, "Mm hmm," in response, not breaking contact.

The front door opened and then slammed shut again, the key turning in the lock. There was laughter from outside, and then silence.

William pulled away infinitesimally, his eyes smouldering and a sexy smirk plastered on his face. "So, we're finally alone."

I grinned. "So we are."

**Songs for this chapter:  
**_To The Moon And Back - Savage Garden  
Poker Face - Lady GaGa  
Broken Hearts, Torn Up Letters And The Story Of A Lonely Girl - Lostprophets_

**LEMONS NEXT CHAPTER! That's all I have to say on that subject.**

**'Ghosts and Ghoulies' will be updated soon, and I'm also considering restarting 'Moved' as 'Back to Alaska'. I have to finish one of these first.**

**Review please! I would like to get some more, so all you people who are either new readers or are already readers of mine, REVIEW! They make me happy! And if I'm happy, I write more, and then chapters are posted sooner. See what I'm getting at?**

**Also, pictures of the Carter's cars are up on my Photobucket. There's a link on my profile.**

**Love and hugs! x**

* * *


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: HOLY CRAP! HOLY CRAP OF LORD JESUS ALMIGHTY! Lol. I'm a bit hyper.**

**Anyway, for those who are still innocent, look away now. The lemons, my dear readers, are finally here. This is the moment of truth. My very first lemons thingy. Be nice!**

**Love and hugs to Michelle, who just breathes, sweats and pees awesomeness. Sorry, but it had to be said. Love you! xxx**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer._**

* * *

In Another Life

Chapter Three – Fun Nights, Tiresome Mornings

_The front door opened and then slammed shut again, the key turning in the lock. There was laughter from outside, and then silence._

_William pulled away infinitesimally, his eyes smouldering and a sexy smirk plastered on his face. "So, we're finally alone."_

_I grinned. "So we are."_

Our gazes locked, and he pressed his lips to mine softly, his arms circling around my waist. My hands twisted into his hair, pulling his face closer. We kissed gently for a few long moments, not hurrying at all. His arms looped around my waist, moulding me to his body, and I sighed against his lips, perfectly content.

Suddenly, William's kisses became urgent and his hands knotted into my hair, securing my face to his. The electric current between us spluttered frantically, and my body reacted automatically, my lips parting slightly and my arms moving to wrap around his neck. He deepened the kiss further and released my hair, but started to undo the buttons of my shirt. His kisses became passionate, more heated, as he traced a finger over the swell of my breasts, causing me to shiver in pleasure. We broke apart for the briefest second to let him tug my shirt off of me, and then he lowered me back down to the floor, his eyes drinking in my body. His gaze fixed on my breasts and he growled sexily.

"Ahh; my favourite." His index finger hooked under one of the straps of my forest green lace bra and he pulled it, the elastic making a snapping noise. He brought his mouth back to mine, his hands trapping my face.

I worked on his shirt next, my fingers slipping down his buttons slowly, teasing him. He became frustrated with my slow pace and reached down to assist me, his fingers working twice as fast as mine had. He flung his shirt in the corner of the room with mine, and his fingers started to trace my bare skin lightly, his lips kissing my newly exposed flesh.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to touch you like this all day," he murmured. His kisses reached my abdomen, and his tongue flicked out, delving into my belly button. My hands snaked into his hair again, gripping it by the roots, as he licked the skin above the waistband of my jeans. "How much I wanted to hear you moan my name." His fingers nimbly undid the buttons of my jeans and started to shrug them down my legs, his fingers trailing down the inside of my thighs. I sucked in a large breath. "But now..." He kissed back up my leg, pausing when he was dangerously close to my apex. I moaned as he blew on my inner thigh, earning a smirk from him. "I'm going to make you scream it."

William's lips crashed back into mine, and I scrabbled at his belt buckle, tearing at the soft leather. I managed to tug the belt free and then worked on his actual jeans. He took in a sharp breath as I snapped the button opened, and a hiss escaped his lips as I lowered the zipper over his aroused groin. He shimmied out of his jeans, leaving him in a pair of black boxers. He kissed me again, his lips fervent against mine, his manhood pressing into me. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me up into a sitting position. Then he stood up, taking me with him. Our lips never broke apart, and suddenly, my back was against the wall, William's body pressing up against me.

"Will...yes..." I moaned as he gently sucked my neck, my fingers digging into his hair again. I could hear how raw my voice was, so low in my need. I gasped when he found the sensitive spot on my neck and my eyes rolled back into my head, the pleasure overcoming me for a moment. I pulled his face back up to mine and our lips connected again in a passionate kiss, our desire for each other clearly showing. I moved my hands to his chest and pushed him backwards towards the large white bed. We stumbled and William fell back onto the bed, his eyes glazed over with love and lust.

I stood back and put my hands on my hips, my eyes running over his body. Even though he had belonged to me for nearly two hundred years, I still couldn't believe that this god among men was mine. He looked up at me through his thick lashes, his eyes opaque with the depth of their need. His chiselled chest moved up and down quickly as he panted shallowly, his face deadly serious and meaning business. He held his arms out to me, beckoning for me to return to him, so I stepped forward until I was between his legs and leaned over him, placing one hand either side of him. I pressed my lips to his chest and started to make my way down towards the waistband of his boxers. He groaned at the contact, his muscles jumping as I kissed every inch of his torso.

William grabbed onto my waist and yanked me upwards to meet his lips again. He glided his tongue across my bottom lip and my lips parted, granting him access. As his tongue probed mine, his fingers moved to the clasp of my bra, quickly snapping it open. He pulled it off of me and discarded it, throwing it somewhere behind me. His fingers moved to my bare breasts, massaging my puckered nipples and soliciting a breathy moan from me.

He flipped us over so that he was hovering over me again, and then eased my panties down leisurely, dragging his fingers down my thighs and just brushing my womanhood. He yanked his own boxers off and tossed them into a corner, and then returned to me, stepping closer until I could feel the tip of his arousal at my opening.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are," William mumbled, his eyes gazing into mine. He gently pressed his lips to my neck, revelling in the moment.

"Will," I begged. "I need you...please..."

He nodded, and in one fluid, breathtaking movement, buried himself to the hilt. My spine arched, curving into him as I got the contact I craved. We kissed gently, going slowly to start with, but as the friction between us began to build, our kisses became more passionate. William held me tightly, not wanting to let go of me, and I wrapped my legs around him in an effort to get closer. My hands rested on his chest, gripping at him frantically, whereas his hands never stopped moving, gliding over my body incessantly. We rocked against each, every movement filled with love and adoration for our other half.

"I love you, Will," I whispered as our pace picked up, pushing us closer to the edge. "Don't stop...please..."

"I love you, too, Violette," he groaned, his voice gravelly and strained. "You have no idea..."

We pushed harder and faster as we stared at each other, memorising each other's face. William moved his hands from my body and placed them either side of me to support himself. The tension rose and rose as we ground together as one, until I was finally pushed to my limit. I screamed William's name as the orgasm took me, and in my euphoria, William throbbed one last time before succumbing with a deep moan. We collapsed into each other, breathing deeply, though we didn't need it. He rolled off of me and held me in his arms.

"Happy now?" I breathed as he nuzzled my neck.

He chuckled against my skin. "Yes. I love you. I really do."

I joined in with his laughter. "I should think that you do. I love you, too, you know. I just have to be the sensible one sometimes."

He kissed my sensitive spot and I moaned quietly. "Well, Miss Sensible," he whispered, a smile in his voice. "How about round two?"

I grinned. "Bring it on, big guy."

* * *

The remainder of the night was spent in each other's arms, never breaking contact. Eventually, the midnight black sky brightened to a pearly grey dawn, and then it started to rain.

We halted our activities at around eight o'clock, knowing that Arthur, Mercy, and Benedict would be returning soon. I groaned about school as we dressed in the dreaded uniform, but William just laughed and gave me a reassuring hug. We were both lounging on the loveseat in the living room, watching the morning news, when the rest of our family arrived back from their hunt.

"My God," Arthur laughed as he sat in his armchair, his dark hair untidy and his clothes ruffled. "The house is still standing."

William rolled his eyes, and I stuck my tongue out at the chuckling vampire, then went back to analysing the news report on the current economic crisis.

Benedict walked in next and opened his mouth to make a remark, but I held my hand up at him, not moving my eyes from the TV. "Don't bother, Ben. Arthur already said it."

He looked rather disappointed and flopped onto the other sofa, muttering to himself.

Mercy glided into the room then, a few twigs and leaves caught in her auburn hair. "Give them some slack, guys. They are married teenagers." She turned to us. "Well, I hope that you two had fun last night." William smirked and I let out a small giggle, but she ignored that and carried on. "We went up to the north of Scotland to hunt, and it's certainly better than around here. There's plenty of deer and things, and even the odd wild cat." She sighed. "Anyway, I have things to do." She pointed at Benedict. "You need to get ready for school, mister. You need to be going in fifteen minutes."

Benedict sighed. "Fine," he muttered, and then raced off up the stairs and into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Mercy turned her finger to Arthur. "And you need to get ready for work. The world of law won't wait for you, you know."

Arthur smiled. "Yes, dear, but I don't need to be at the office until ten. I'm sure they could cope without me."

Mercy huffed and folded her arms. "Arthur, it's your first day there, and you need to make a good impression. Being a lawyer has a good salary, but they will kick you out if they feel that you're incompetent and unreliable."

"Fine, then." Arthur rose from his chair and started for the stairs. "But if I get yelled at for being too early, I blame you."

William and I chuckled and Mercy turned her attention to me. "Now then, Violette, I was thinking that we could maybe go shopping tonight. Just us girls, eh?" William's arms tightened around me unconsciously; he hated having me out of his sight.

I nodded. "Sure, Mercy. Sounds like fun. I need some new clothes and things anyway, since the moving company lost mine."

Since we had to move everything by plane, things had been boxed up and packed away in suitcases and then sent to a company who 'specialised in moving by plane and had never lost a single thing in their twenty-one years of business'. Unfortunately, their policy wasn't completely true, and in the process of flying across the North Atlantic Ocean and the chaotic baggage sorting at Heathrow Airport, they had lost two of my five jumbo-sized suitcases of clothes and possessions. Pissed was an understatement when I found out – I really missed my favourite dress (a dark jade strapless satin number that clung to my every curve; William's eyes had popped out of his head every time he saw me in it), my iPod dock, and the black leather patent heels William had given me five birthdays ago.

Mercy beamed at me. "Perfect. We'll leave as soon as you get back from school." She started chewing her lip, a habit she had when she was thinking. "We could take Benedict's car, since it has the biggest trunk and all that spare room inside..."

I cringed. Benedict's BMW X3 was a monster of a car, and completely and utterly hideous to me. Whereas I preferred small, streamline cars, Benedict always went for the huge, bulky ones that could easily kill someone if he so much as gently nudged them with the front bumper. Combine that monstrosity with Benedict's road rage, and you got a formidable force to be reckoned with.

"I suppose so..." I started. "But do we have to? That thing's horrific."

"Hey!" Benedict called down the stairs. "No dissing my car!"

"I'll insult your freak of a car if I want to!" I retorted, frowning in the direction his voice had come from.

William and Mercy laughed at us, and William kissed my hair. I sighed and picked up the TV remote, flipping through the channels. I finally found a re-run of _The Ghost Whisperer_ to watch, so I leant back into William, making myself comfortable.

William sighed. "Not this again. I swear that you know every episode of every series by heart."

I poked his leg. "Just because you want to watch the music channels all the time, doesn't mean that everyone else does."

"The same goes for this, too, you know," he complained.

"I know, but I have the remote. And anyway, I want to watch it. You don't want to make me unhappy, do you?" I pouted at him, playing at his weakness.

He sighed again. "Okay, okay; you can watch it. Anything to make you happy."

I gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you, honey."

Mercy chuckled from her position on the recliner. "At least we know who wears the trousers in this relationship."

I grinned at her, but William scowled moodily.

"I'm ready to go now."

We all turned to the stairs, where Benedict stood, arms folded and an unhappy expression on his face. His uniform was scruffy, and his bag was falling off his shoulder, swinging inches from the floor.

Mercy tutted in disapproval. "Really, Ben. You look like a street urchin for crying out loud! At least pull your tie up a bit." Benedict yanked his tie up by a millimetre. Mercy sighed and got up so she could fix his uniform. "Come here. I'll do it for you."

"Mom..." Benedict whined, clearly uncomfortable as Mercy did his shirt buttons up and redid his tie.

William and I snickered, finding this display highly amusing.

Mercy finished tucking in his shirt and then ran her hands through his hair, trying to neaten the sandy blonde haystack. She stood back to admire her handiwork. "There. Perfect."

I had to put my hand over my mouth to try and keep in my laughter, but a giggle slipped out, causing Benedict's eyes to zero in on me and narrow to slits.

"You laugh one more time, and I will personally make sure that you end up on a one way trip to hell. Got it?" he threatened, his glare icy. He was obviously in a bad mood this morning, but that was nothing unusual.

William snarled viciously, telling Benedict to back off; he was very protective of me, even more so than the average vampire was of their mate. I supposed that he was naturally protective of people, and that had become enhanced after his transfer into immortal life.

Benedict smirked, pleased with William's overreaction.

"Stop it," Mercy ordered, glaring at both of them. "Stop it right now."

William closed his eyes and tightened his grip on me, burying his face into my hair. He inhaled deeply a few times and then let out all his breath in a huff, blowing strands of my hair around my face. Benedict just stood there, a perfect poker face masking any emotion.

"Sorry about that." William pulled away from my hair, but moved so his chin was resting on my shoulder. "I guess I overreacted a bit."

Mercy snorted as she sat down again. "A bit? You practically promised to kill Ben because he made an empty threat. I know you love Violette, Will, but calm down."

Arthur came down the stairs then, wearing a suit and a half-amused, half-concerned expression. "And why is everyone snapping at each other?" He perched on the arm of the recliner and wrapped an arm around Mercy's shoulders.

Mercy leaned into him and sighed. "The usual: Ben threatened Violette, Will overreacted, and I had to yell at them to stop before it turned into a fight. Did you really have to ask?"

Arthur chuckled quietly. "I suppose not." He glanced at his watch and then at us. "It's half past eight, guys, so you need to get a move on."

I nodded and clambered off of the sofa, grabbing my Louis Vuitton school bag from the floor. William followed suit and pulled his car keys out of his pocket, twirling them around his index finger. Benedict nodded at Mercy and Arthur, and then stormed off towards the kitchen, shooting William a 'this-isn't-over-yet' look.

William and I both said goodbye, and followed the sulking Benedict into the kitchen and then into the garage. Ignoring Benedict as he leant against the back car door, William unlocked the car and then opened my door for me. I gave him a peck on the cheek and then climbed in, smiling at Benedict in the rearview mirror as he got himself comfortable in the back. William slammed the door shut, and was sitting in his seat and starting the car less than a second later.

The ride to school was quiet, all of us away in our own little worlds. I twirled my hair around my finger as I thought, fearing the still unwelcome attention that school would bring. Just like yesterday, my Blackberry beeped in my pocket, and I instantly knew that it was another email from Alice. My suspicions were confirmed as I read it:

_Violette,_

_Sorry about the delay in my reply. There was a bit of a situation, due to sun-related circumstances. You see, we were at the mall, when suddenly, the weather picked up and the sun burst through the clouds. I hadn't foreseen this, and the local weather station had said nothing, so it took us all by surprise. The tricky part was that we had to try and get home normally, without getting hit by the light. Numerous umbrellas were involved, and Emmett, Jasper, and Edward had to try and create a distraction. Let's just say that it wasn't pretty, and we had to bail Emmett out of the local jail._

I burst out laughing at that last part, startling William and Benedict and shattering the silence in the car. William raised an eyebrow at me, but I just shook my head and said, "I'll tell you later."

_Apart from that little shake up, we're all perfectly fine. As I write this, Edward and Emmett are bickering about some pointless subject (I lost track half an hour ago), Bella is playing _Guitar Hero _with Rosalie, and Jasper is sitting next to me with an amused expression on his face – I swear that he's influencing Emmett and Edward's anger. Carlisle's doing the graveyard shift at the hospital and Esme's gone grocery shopping for Nessie and Jacob. Speaking of them, Nessie's asleep on the sofa (Bless. She looks so adorable) and Jacob's currently on patrol with his pack. God, I'd hate to be a werewolf. Well, a shape-shifter, but you know what I mean._

_Nessie's still growing like mad, and is now roughly the size of a large seven year old. She managed to complete that _Superplexus _ball maze thing that William sent Emmett for Christmas the other day. We were all shocked, but quite proud of her – that thing's tricky. Also, she can now play the piano by ear. Edward was so proud of her. It looks like we have another musician in the family!_

_I'm so glad that you're settling in well. Moving to a completely different country is a huge step, and one that I wouldn't like to make. And don't worry about the attention; it will fade soon. Trust me on that._

_I've been looking out for you recently, and everything looks okay. You've got Holly, Oliver, and the newborn Francesca arriving in three days, and I'm warning you now, sparks will fly between her and Benedict. I can't tell whether it's good or bad, but you'll find out. Also, I hope that you and William had fun last night. It's a good thing that Jasper and Edward weren't around when I saw what you two were getting up to, or Jasper would have jumped me and Edward would have run off with Bella. And, girl, take control once in a while! Even men like to be dominated. ;) XP_

I smirked and tried not to giggle. Alice was very forward when it came to things like this, and she still hadn't changed. Her emails often came with a little snippet of information on sex, whether it be a new position, or just some advice. Alice was almost like the big sister I never had – well, not literally. I was about one hundred years older than her, and almost a foot taller, but then nearly everyone's taller than Alice.

_Everyone sends their love and Emmett says to send him something British. I have no idea what he wants, but you'll think of something. I'll talk to you soon. TTFN!_

_Alice xoxo_

I smiled to myself and put my phone back in my pocket after deciding to reply later. I looked out of the window again, watching the houses and trees of the suburbs go by in a flurry.

"Penny for your thoughts, Vi?"

I blinked and turned to William. "Hmmmm?"

He laughed, not surprised by me not paying attention. "There you go again, off into your head. I'm scared you might get lost in there one day."

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny." I looked out of the window again and realised that we were driving through the main school gate, the view blurred by the torrential rain.

William parked the car in the only available space left and cut the engine, his eyes sweeping over the crowds of students that had stopped and started gawking as soon as we entered the car park. He didn't look too happy.

Benedict mumbled a goodbye and threw the door open, climbing out and then slamming it shut. He instantly disappeared into the rain, moving too fast for even me to see properly.

I sighed and pulled the hood of my green hoodie up over my head, glad that I had put it on underneath my blazer. Bracing myself, I cautiously opened the car door, not looking at the curious students as they stopped and stared at me. I noticed today that a few people just walked by, not paying any attention, and that instantly made me happy. I stuffed my hands into my blazer pockets and walked to the back of the car, waiting for William to join me.

He didn't take long, and he smiled and wove an arm around my waist as we walked towards the front entrance. His eyes were raking over the crowds, his narrowed glare resting on anyone who looked at us for a second too long. I felt a lot safer and more confident with him around.

The bell rang as we walked into reception, ordering everyone to head to registration period. I said goodbye to William, giving him a kiss and a hug, and then galloped off to the science block, waving behind me. I quietly opened the door and slipped inside silently, but the entire class froze and their heads snapped around so they could gape at me. I took my seat next to the bored looking Benedict, glad that I didn't have to suffer alone in this period.

"Thank God you're here," he mumbled, shifting his eyes to look at me. "At least I can have a relatively interesting conversation with you, rather than have to be tortured by these superficial, lying, airheads."

I snickered. "You want them asleep, just say the word."

He smiled. "You might want to test it still works first. When was the last time you used it? Five years ago?"

I frowned and sniffed. "Two, actually."

My 'talent', so to speak, was that I had the ability to control human sleep. I could cause a human to stay wide awake for many days, or make them fall into a coma-like state. I couldn't make vampires fall asleep, but I could make them lethargic if I really concentrated.

I glanced around the room, picking a victim for my little experiment. Benedict coughed and his eyes flickered to a blonde girl with eyeliner so thick, it looked like she was a panda. I smiled infinitesimally and focused on her, my eyes narrowing in concentration.

Ten seconds later, the girl suddenly slumped forwards into her friend's lap, her quiet snores signalling that she was sound asleep. Her friends stared with wide eyes, their faces shocked. The teacher noticed the commotion and walked over to them to see what was happening, his brow furrowed.

Benedict gave me an inconspicuous high five and then watched intently as the teacher poked the girl's arm, his face slightly amused but angry. I concentrated again, and then the girl's head snapped up and she sat dead upright, her face a light shade of pink.

My eyes flickered to Benedict and I put my hand on his shoulder to restrain him slightly as he leant forward, the girl's blush tempting him to take a bite out of her neck. He closed his eyes for a second and then stopped breathing altogether, the temptation too much for him.

Although Benedict was only forty-two years younger than me― and fifty years older than Mercy― he still had bad control when it came to blood. Whereas the rest of our family could peacefully sit in a room full of hot-blooded humans, Benedict found it difficult, and there had been occasions before when we had to restrain him.

"Listen to me, Ben," I warned, my voice sharp. "You need to control yourself. If you don't, someone might get hurt."

He nodded in response, not trusting himself to breathe.

At that moment, the bell rang for first period, and the classroom sprung to life. Benedict was instantly out of his seat, moving slightly too quickly for my likes. I sighed, picked up my bag, and headed towards my Business lesson, the crowds parting for me again. As I walked, I thought about the tedium of Business, something which I had done many times. Maybe I could put the class to sleep for the hour....

**Lol. Well, I had fun writing that chapter.**

**Anyway, just a quick note to say that I won't be updating quite so often from now on. School is hectic and I am now writing a novel. On vampires. :D**

**Review!**

**Love and hugs! x**

* * *


End file.
